Current-regulating treadle-switch



A. PAPINI.

CURRENT REGULATING TREADLE SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED Aue. n. 1919.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

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ATTORNEYS. i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTONIO PAPIN I, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO A. MECKYCOMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

('1'U'IRIRZEINT-REGrULA'lINGr TREAJJLE-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

Application filed August 11, 1919. Serial N 0. 316,552.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTONIO PAPINI, a subject of the King of Italy,having resided in the United States one year last past and havingdeclared my intentions of becoming a citizen thereof, residing in thecity and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Gurrent-Regulating Treadle-Sw-itch, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention consists of a novel construction of an electric regulatoror current regulating foot switch, wherein novel means actuated by thepressure of the operators foot are provided for regulating the force ofthe current of electric dynamos, motors, lamps and any other apparatusor machines t which electricity is suppliedfrom a suitable source, myinvention comprising a casing or frame adapted to be inserted in andform a part of the electric circuit, and said casing or frame supportingor containing the novel devices to which my invention particularlyrelates, whereby, the normal circuit may be opened or closed whendesired, and the current caused to diverge and pass through a suit-ableresistance material, whose relatively low conductivity is increased ordiminished, according to requirements, by compressing it more or, lessby a novel collocation of a piston, piston rod, and suitable insulatedconnections to a foot pedal, which operates in unison as a unit and arenormally retained in elevated position, during which period the circuitis open or broken, the circuit being closed by a depression of said footpedal and its adjuncts, as will be hereinafter described.

My invention further consists of a novel construction and combination ofa frame or casing, a foot pedal pivoted thereon, a cylinfor the purposesof inspection, replacement and repalr.

For the purpose of illustrating my inven t1on, I have shown in theaccompanying drawlngs one form thereof which is at present preferred byme, since the same will be found 1n practice to give satisfactory andreliable results, although it is to be under- Fig. 2 represents a frontelevation of F igt- 1, showing. the manner of mounting the foot pedal,its restoring spring and their aduncts.

3 represents on an enlarged scale a vertlcalseotional view partly inelevation of the upper portion of the frame, insulating cylinder, pistonand circuit opening and closing devices.

Fig. 4 represents a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of myinvention, wherein I employ in lieu of the pulverized or granulatedresistance material seen in Figs. 1 and 3 a resistance material composedof fibrous disks separated by an air box, said air box, its cylinder andouter frame or casing being provided with ventilating ports.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates my novel construction of electricregulator or current regulating foot switch, the same comprising thecasing or frame 2, which may be of cast iron and is provided at its topwith the lug or lugs 3, to which are pivoted or fulcrumed the lugs 4 onthe under side of the foot pedal 5, by means of the fulcrum rod or pin6, said foot pedal being normally retained. in the up ward position seenin Fig. 1, by means of the flat spring or other tension device 7, thelower end of which latter is fixed or secured at 8 to the top of theframe or casing 52, while its free end 9 contacts with the under side ofsaid foot pedal. The frame or casing 2 is provided with a cavity orpocket 10 in which is seated a cylinder or receptacle 11,

which is open at its top and closed at its sides and bottom 12, saidbottom supporting the metal disk or plate 13, which is held in positionby the bolt 14, whose upper end terminates in a contact point 15, saidbolt passing through the insulating sleeve 16 and being held in positionby the nut 17 threaded to its lower extremity which serves to hold inplace the conductor 18.

19 designates the other conductor, which is mountedin the insulation 20and has its upper stationary terminal 21 normally located a slightdistance from the terminal 22 of the adjustable or movable contactmember 23, which is hollow, as seen in Fig. 3 and telescopes upon thevertical pin 24, which has a laterally deflected bottom member or foot25 secured to the piston 26 by means of the nut 27, which is in threadedengagement with the upper end of the piston rod 28, the lower end 29 ofsaid piston rod serving as a contact point 29 and being in alinementwith the contact point 15 already referred to. The piston 26 is prefer?ably constructed of a pair of disks 30 and 31 between which is asuitable fibrous disk or packing 32, and the space below the piston andthe plate or disk 13 is filled wit-h suitable resistance material.

A spring 34 surrounds the hollow member 23 and has its upper and lowerends secured respectively to the top of the hollow member 23 and to thebottom of the upright pin 24, so that the tension of said springnormally retains the terminal or contact 22 slightly above and out ofcontact with the terminal 21, as will be understood from Figs. 1, 3 and4.

The upper end of the piston rod 28 has the lower end of the link 29pivotally secured to and suitably insulated from the bottom of the footpedal 5, which is preferably of cast iron or similar material.

The electric conductors 18 and 19 preferably pass through an insulatedbushing or opening 33 which is located in the side of the frame orcasing 2.

The foregoing description applies particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, whilein Fig. 1, it have shown another embodiment of the principle of myinvention, wherein in lieu of the granulated or pulverized resistancematerial 34,1 employ a plurality of resistance disks 35 having thecentral ports 36, said disks being separated by the metallic air box 37,which comprises upper and lower plates having central ports therethroughas seen in Fig. 4:, and side walls which are rovided with the ports 38registering with t e cylinder ports 39, which discharge into the ports40, in the casing 2 which lead to the atmosphere.

' The construction seen in Fig. 4 is especially applicable to largeswitches, wherein heat is generated in the resistance material and itwill be apparent that the heat gener: ated in the fibrous disks 35 willbe absorbed by the metallic air box 37 and the hot air will pass throughthe ports 38, of the air box to the exhaust ports 39 and 40, whereby thedevice is efficiently ventilated at all times.

The resistance material 34 seen in Figs. 1

' and 3 may be any suitable granulated or pulverized material which willproduce the desired results, and it will be understood that in theconstruction seen in Fig. 4, all the parts therein are substantially thesame as those seen in Figs. 1 and 3, except for the employment of thefibrous resistance disks 35 and the apertured metallic air box 37, whichcoacts with the ventilating ports 39 and 4:0. It will be understood thatthe various elements are suitably insulated as will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art.

The operation is as follows The parts normally appear as seen in Fig. 1,the foot pedal 5 being held in elevated position as shown by reason ofthe tension of the spring 7, so that the terminals 22 and 21 arenormally out of contact, as seen in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

Upon a depression of the foot pedal 5,

the piston 26 is depressed and the movable terminal 22 which moves as aunit with said piston approaches the stationary terminal 21 and contactstherewith, any objectionable shock or jar being taken up by reason ofthe spring 34, and the piston 26 by reason of the link connection 29during its descent will compress the resistance material 34: or 35 tothe desired extent, the relatively low conductivity thereof beingincreased or diminished according to requirements, as will be evident tothose skilled in the art.

Upon removing the pressure of the foot from the pedal 5, the compressionupon the resistance material is remove (Land the foot pedal 5 and thepiston 26 move upwardly by reason of the tension of the spring 7, sothat when the parts assume the position seen in Fig. 1, the. contact isentirely broken, at the terminals 21 and 22 and no current will passthrough the device.

My novel construction of current regulating foot switch can be cheaplymanufactured, is not liable to get out of order and all of its parts arereadily accessible for the purposes of inspection, replacement orrepairs, it being apparent that when the pin or fulcrum 6 and the linkconnection 29 are removed, the foot pedal can be lifted from thepositionseen in Figs. 1 and 2 and the piston and the interior of its cylinder 11will then be readily accessible.

It will now be apparent that ll have devised a novel and usefulconstruction of a current regulating treadle switch which embodies thefeatures of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of theinvention and the above description, and while 1' have, in the presentinstance, shown and described a preferred embodiment thereof which willbe found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is tobe understood that the same is susceptible of modification in variousparticulars without de arting from an of its advantages.

aving thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character stated, a receptacle containing aresistance material, a compressing device for varying the pressurethereupon, said compressing device comprising a foot pedal suitablyfulcrumed, a piston, and a piston rod in said receptacle, a pivotalconnection common to said pedal and piston rod, and a circuit closingdevice comprising a stationary member and a movable member, the movablemember being carried by said piston and actuated in unison with the saidpiston and the foot pedal.

2. In a device of the character stated, a receptacle containing aresistance material, a compressing device for varying the pressurethereupon, said device having a piston and a piston rod, a foot pedalpivotally mounted above said receptacle, a pivotal connection from saidpiston rod to said foot pedal, an adjustable contact carried by saidpiston and movable in unison therewith, a tension device for saidadjustable contact, and a stationary contact adapted to effect theclosing of a circuit upon the depression of said foot pedal and saidmovable contact.

3. In a device of the character stated, a frame having a cavity therein,a cylinder mounted in said frame and containing resistance material, apiston for compressing said resistance material, an adjustable contactcarried by said piston and movable in unison therewith, a foot pedalpivotally mounted above said frame, said foot pedal, adjustable contactand piston being movable in unison, and a stationary contact mounted insaid frame and insulated therefrom and adapted to coact with saidadjustable contact for closing the circuit.

4. In a device of the character stated, a frame having lugs projectinfrom its upper portion, a foot pedal havlng contiguous lugs dependingtherefrom, a fulcrum pin passing through said lugs, a tension devicemounted on the topof said frame for normally retaining said foot pedalin its upward position, a link pivotally secured to and insulated fromthe bottom of said foot pedal, a piston rod to which said link ispivotally attached, a piston for said piston rod, a cylinder for saidpiston mounted in said frame, said cylinder containingv re sistancematerial, an upwardly extending pin mounted on said piston and having ahollow rod movably mounted thereon, a tension device common to saidhollow rod and upwardly extending pin, said hollow rod having alaterally extending arm serving as'a movable contact point, and astationary contact point, mounted in said casing, said foot pedal,piston and adjustable contact point moving as a unit and being adaptedto close the circuit when the foot pedal is depressed.

5. In a device of the character stated, a receptacle containing aresistance material, a compressing device for varying the .pressurethereupon, said device having a piston and a piston rod, a foot pedalpivotally supported, a pivotal connection from said foot pedal to saidpiston rod, an adjustable contact arried by said piston and movable inunison therewith, a stationary contact adapted to effect the closing ofa circuit upon the depression of said foot pedal and movable contact, acontact at the lower end of said piston rod, a metallic plate at thebottom of said receptacle, and a bolt secur ing said plate in positionand having its upper end terminatmg in a contact point,

the lower end of said bolt and its nut serving to secure a conductor inposition.

6. In a device of the character stated, a frame, a cylinder therein,resistance material contained within said cylinder comprising aplurality of fibrous disks, a metallic air box separating said disks andprovided with ports, alining ports in said cylinder and frame adapted tocoact with the ports in said air box to permit the exit of heated air,an adjustable contact carried by said piston, and a stationary contactsuported in said frame with which said adustable contact coacts.

7. In a device of the character stated, a frame, a cylinder therein,resistance material contained within said cylinder comprising aplurality of fibrous disks, a metallic air box separating said disks andprovided with ports, alining ports in said cylinder and frame adapted tocoact with the ports in said air box to permit the exit of heated air,an adjustable contact carried by said piston, a stationary contactsupported in said frame with which said adjustable contact coacts, and afoot pedal pivotally mounted on said frame and connected to said piston.

ANTONIO PAPINI. Witnesses:

JOHN WIEDERSHEIM, N. BUSSINGER.

